It was considered Britain’s “Gateway to the Caribbean” as it was located in the major sailing routes to and from the region’s resource rich island colonies. Lord Horatio Nelson arrived in 1784 to preserve the island’s commercial shipping prowess. With the construction of Nelson’s Dockyard, he ensured the island’s safety from invasion. In addition, there were massive fortifications built around the island. In fact, between the end of the 17th century and well into the 19th century 53 forts existed on Antigua, making it one of the most heavily fortified places on earth. Thus, unlike most of Britain’s West Indies colonies, Antigua remained British throughout the colonial era except for a brief 6-month incursion by the French in 1666 at Fort Barrington.
With the abolition of slavery in 1834 and the wane of the sugar industry, poverty was widespread across the island. After World War II, the rise of a strong Labor movement under VC Bird began the move towards independence. In 1967, Antigua – with Barbuda and the tiny island of Redonda (an uninhabited ½ sq. mile rocky island 24 miles southwest of Antigua) as dependencies – became an Associate State of the Commonwealth, answering only to Britain in matters of defense and foreign policy. Slowly the national economy turned towards the development of tourism. Finally, in 1981, the country achieved full independent status.
Exploring Antigua on Land....
Antigua is small. You can drive around the entire island in one day. The roads are well-marked and smoothly paved (except for the rutted dirt tracks that lead to some of the more remote beaches), and most driving tours begin and end in St. John. Therefore, for those on a Caribbean yacht charter that want to explore at your own pace, the best thing to do is rent a car. Be advised, however, that driving is on the left and most Antiguans drive at break-neck speed- honking their horns rather than braking or moving over.
The first place to begin exploring is in St. John, Antigua’s capital and only city. Nearly half the island’s population lives in this bustling city which is a mixture of modern buildings as well as old stone and wooden buildings either near collapse or beautifully restored. Since most of the main places of interest are close together, the best thing to do is park the car and walk. Starting at the south end of the city, on Market Street, you will get a chance to savor some local culture, especially on Friday and Saturday mornings. The market is a vibrant display of lively crowds, fruit, flowers and local produce. Next to the fruit market is the Arts & Crafts market. Across the street, local fishermen bring in their fresh catch to the fish market. Heading north towards Redcliffe Quay (formerly the site of the town’s slave market) turn west down Nevis Street. You will find the remains of barracoons- compounds where slaves were held upon their arrival in the island before being auctioned off at the market. Redcliffe Quay is the oldest part of the city. Explore the wooden boardwalk that runs along the waterfront, past old warehouses that once held barrels of rum and sugar, ship lumber, cotton and other supplies for the British Navy.
Today, the area is a quiet place to take a rest in the shade or grab a bite in one of many restaurants. Continuing north, at the foot of High Street, you will find Heritage Quay – the duty-free shopping district for cruise ship tourists. At the corner of Long and Market Streets, the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda is housed in the 1750 colonial courthouse. Toured in about 30 minutes, this charming museum tells the story of Antigua & Barbuda from its geological birth thought the present day. A cool oasis in the middle of St. John, the museum contains a wide variety of fascinating exhibits and objects, including a full-size replica of an Arawak dwelling and the bat of Viv Richards, one of the world’s greatest cricket players. Two block eastward on Church Street, you will find St. John’s Cathedral, offering some of the best views of the busy capital. The twin towers of the church are a dominant landmark of the city. Two previous churches stood on this site, one from 1682, another from 1789, but both were destroyed by earthquakes and hurricanes. The present church was built in 1845-48. Its gray stone façade is not extraordinary, but the beautiful interior is encased in dark pine and dotted with white marble tablets commemorating Antigua’s historical figures. Finally, no visit to St. John would be complete without a stop at Fort James. The harbor entrance to St. John is protected by two early 18th century bastions: Fort Barrington to the south and Fort James on the north promontory. The walls of Fort James remain in pretty good condition and a few canons are still intact, but the main attraction is the excellent view of the harbor.
The second tour of Antigua is along the Northeast coast, which is pounded by the Atlantic. Among the highlights is the small town of Parham where the first British colonists from St. Kitts arrived in 1632. St. Peter’s – the village church built in 1840 – has an unusual octagonal shape. About 4 miles southeast, near the village of Pares, stands the partly restored Betty’s Hope – the first sugar plantation established on Antigua in 1674. Built by Christopher Codrington and named after his daughter, it is now a small open-air museum that includes the old twin windmill towers (one works) and the ruins of the stillhouse, boiling house, overseer’s house, great house and cistern. With about 100 stone windmill towers dotting the landscape, Betty’s Hope provides an interesting insight into the importance of the sugar industry for Antigua. Five miles away, at the eastern tip of Antigua, is Indian Town National Park. Indian Town Point is thought to have been an Arawak campsite. Devil’s Bridge, a large natural limestone arch on the shoreline of Indian Town Point has several blowholes formed by the incessant pounding of the Atlantic’s forceful waves. It is a pretty spectacular sight.
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A must-see for anyone on a Caribbean yacht charter to Antigua is the Falmouth and English Harbour area on the south coast. This picturesque area is truly the historical heart of Antigua.
As early as 1671, the British navy recognized the potential of using the magnificent natural harbours as protection from hurricanes and tropical storms. |
In addition, because it was completely hidden away from the enemy, the dockyard was a safe place to repair ships. Developed as a base for the British Navy it served as the headquarters of the fleet of the Leeward Islands and was used by Admirals Hood, Rodney and Nelson. The Dockyard has been completely restored and is the only Georgian dockyard in the world. Each April, it is also home of one of the world’s biggest yachting events – Antigua Sailing Week. Part of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park is the area above the harbor, known collectively as Shirley Heights. This rambling array of gun emplacements and military buildings is known for its breathtaking view of English Harbour, as well as panoramic views on clear days of Montserrat and Guadeloupe. The area is named for Thomas Shirley, Governor of the Leeward Islands, who ordered the construction of the fortifications in the late 18th century. As you head up Shirley Heights, if you turn left, you will come to Cape Shirley – a cluster of ruined stone buildings including officers’ quarters, ammo storerooms and barracks. A wide gun platform looks down to the Indian Creek inlet as well as out to sea. The right hand fork of the road leads to the ruins of Fort Shirley, where you will find the overgrown ruins of the officers’ quarters, the remains of the military hospital and cemetery, and a restored guardhouse that now serves as a bar and restaurant. Be sure to check out the courtyard for your “Kodak moment” of English Harbour.
The west coast of Antigua offers one of the most scenic drives on the island – Fig Tree Drive. This picturesque drive winds along the low central plains past old sugar mills and quaint churches up to Boggy Peak (the highest point on the island), through the lush vegetation and steep farmlands around Fig Tree Hill (where the road is lined with bananas – locally called “figs”- pineapple, mango and coconut groves, and then, heading back down, follows the coast past several outstanding beaches. Be sure to stop at a small roadside shack called the, “Cultural Centre” about halfway along the drive. You can sample the famous black pineapple – a variety of thin, tall and super sweet pineapple grown only on Antigua.
No land tour of Antigua would be complete without mentioning the beaches. Antiguans boast that there are 365 of them – one for each day of the year. Most are on the Caribbean side, making them calm and protected. All are open to the public, but sometimes access to them is a challenge. Some you can drive directly to, others are found at the end of rutted dirt tracks. Since many are remote, it is always best to never swim alone. Some beaches to check out include: Jabberwock Beach in the north for kite surfing, Rendezvous Bay that can be reached along a path leading from the rain forest, the popular Darkwood Beach between Jolly Harbour and Johnson’s point and the reef-protected Long Bay. My favorite beach? In fear of ruining its tranquility, I will not tell you, but it is outside of Bolan. Say hi to Almond and Elvis who offer amazing hospitality at the only bar/restaurant on the beach. Just start exploring to locate the beach that tickles your fancy!
...And By Sea
There are so many anchorages around Antigua, those on a Caribbean yacht charter could spend their entire charter moving around and never begin to cover them all. The best bet is to use the Leeward Island Cruising Guide provided with each booked charter. That being said, here are some anchorages to consider…It goes without saying that Falmouth and English Harbours should not be missed. If you are looking for something quiet, the well-protected Indian Creek anchorage is so deserted you will see more goats than people. Green Island and Nonsuch Bay are a reef-protected expanse of water covering several square miles. Both areas offer numerous places to anchor from wide open vistas to protected mangrove creeks. Five Islands Harbour also offers several anchorage options where you will find nothing but mangroves, beaches and birds. If you are looking for a full service marina, head over to Jolly Harbour. Again, use your guide book. Like the beaches, you will find anchorages to suite every taste.
Exploring Barbuda
Barbuda can be reached easily from Antigua, either by air (a 20 minute ride) or by boat (1 ½ -3 hours depending if it is by ferry or sail). It is one of those rare Caribbean islands that is so untouched by development, it seems almost deserted. Barbuda is an island of mostly white beaches, of which the most beautiful is a 17 mile stretch of sand running from Palmetto Point to Cedar Tree Point. Sand color varies depending on the wind and sea conditions, but often there is a soft pink glow due to the millions of tiny shells thrown up by the sea. The interior of the island is mainly scrub and for the most part is uninhabited save for a few tiny villages connected by dirt roads, as well as a handful of small luxury resorts, lodges and guest houses. The main village is Codrington, where most of the island’s population of 1,300 lives. In 1680, four years before sugar was cultivated on Antigua, King Charles II leased Barbuda to both Sir Codrington and his brother. For most of the 18th Century, the land was used to produce food and to supply additional slave labor for the sugar plantations on Antigua. It is said that Codrington placed the largest and strongest African slaves on Barbuda, and even today, the Barbudans tend to be taller than Antiguans. Today, most of the activities on Barbuda include beachcombing, fishing and hunting, snorkeling or diving, bird watching or simply soaking up the sun. The main points of interest are the Frigate Bird Sanctuary (reached only by boat and containing over 170 species of birds and up to 5,000 nesting frigate birds), Martello Tower (a 50 ft. high watch tower used by the British as part of their fortifications) and Highlands House (the ruins of the Codrington estate located on Barbuda’s highest point- 124 feet above sea level).
Things to Do While Visiting Antigua
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Antigua offers a range of activities for those on a Caribbean yacht charter. You will find everything from deep sea fishing, wind and kite surfing to tennis and golf, horse riding and horse racing, hiking and bird watching. Hunting for deer, wild boar and various game fowl can be done on Barbuda. For a truly unique experience, take in a cricket match at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
The island has historically been a very strong contributor to West Indies and international cricket. Matches can be found almost anywhere on the island at almost any time. Both diving and snorkeling on Antigua & Barbuda are excellent with well-preserved coral reefs, cliffs and canyons, and shipwrecks. Most of the dives are fairly shallow with depths ranging from 25-80 feet. |
The sites are along the southern and eastern coasts of Antigua and most of Barbuda. The sites are relatively close to shore – rarely more than a 15 minute boat ride away. Visibility ranges from 50-140 feet and the water temperature averages 80°F.
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Two of the more popular dive sites are the ledge of Sunken Rock on the south coast of Antigua, and in Deep Bay you will find the wreck of the Andes – a 3-masted merchant ship that sank in 1905. In addition, part of Cades Reef is a designated underwater park. Barbuda’s diving is as good as Antigua’s, but there is no established dive outfit on the island. Therefore, it is best to make arrangements with one of the numerous dive shops located on Antigua. Snorkeling is also possible at many of the beaches.
Nightlife on Antigua comes alive as soon as the sun sets. You will hear it in the rhythm of steel bands, reggae, calypso and DJ music playing the latest hits both in bars and restaurants as well as in the streets. The sounds are a mixture of African and American music with a bit of European influence. There are plenty of places to party and dance the night away. If you are looking for a place to test your luck, Antigua has several casinos. If you are thirsty, the local Wadadli beer is widely consumed on the island, as is the local white or amber rum. |
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Look for English Harbour Premium as rum to bring home. Most restaurants offer variations of Euro-American style food, but it is worth trying a classic Antiguan dish. For instance, try Pepperpot (a slowly simmered stew of fresh and pickled meats combined with fresh spices and lots of local vegetables), Fungi (a cornmeal pudding similar to polenta) and Ducuna (a deliciously sweet mixture of sweet potato, coconut, sugar and spices steamed in a banana leaf). No matter where you eat, you will find something for any taste and budget.
Whether you are looking to party hardy or simply relax on a beach, the island nation of Antigua & Barbuda has something for everyone on a Caribbean yacht charter. With natural harbours, miles of beaches, a vast history and rich heritage, the Treasure Islands will captivate you. You will be stimulated, relaxed and renewed!
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